The Robert Guertin Centre ("The Bob") () (formerly Robert Guertin Arena and Hull Arena) was a multi-purpose arena in the Hull sector of

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, with a capacity of 4,000 capacity (3,196 seated). It was built in 1957 and demolished in 2024. The original tenant hockey team was the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens from 1957 to 1961, until the team relocated to become the

Montreal Junior Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History Th ...

. The Ottawa-Hull Canadiens hosted the

1958 Memorial Cup The 1958 Memorial Cup final was the 40th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Ottawa Junior Canadiens, Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens an independent team in Eas ...

between the Hull Arena and the

Ottawa Auditorium The Ottawa Auditorium was a 7,500-seat arena located in Ottawa, Ontario. It was located in Downtown Ottawa at the corner of O'Connor and Argyle Streets, today the site of the Taggart Family YMCA. Built primarily for ice hockey, the arena was al ...

across the river. The Canadiens defeated the

Regina Pats The Regina Pats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1917, the Pats are the world's oldest continuously operating major junior hockey franchise in its original location and using its original name. The ...

four games to two to win the

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...

. The Hull Arena hosted various teams in the Ottawa-Hull District Junior Hockey League during the 1960s, and briefly hosted the

Ottawa 67's The Ottawa 67's are a major junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Established during Canada's centennial year of 1967 and named in honour of this, the 67's currently play thei ...

in 1967 and 1968, while the

Ottawa Civic Centre TD Place Arena, originally the Ottawa Civic Centre, is an indoor arena located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Opened in December 1967, it is used primarily for sports, including curling, figure skating, ice hockey, and lacrosse. The arena has hos ...

was under construction. Since 1973, the arena has been home to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams. The Hull Festivals joined the QMJHL in 1973, and later became known as the Hull Olympiques in 1976, and finally the Gatineau Olympiques in 2003. The Hull arena hosted the 1982 Memorial Cup. The Gatineau Olympiques won the 1997 Memorial Cup on home ice, defeating the

Lethbridge Hurricanes The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Hurricanes play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and play their home games at the VisitLethbridge.com Are ...

. The arena is also the site of an international midget hockey tournament held every January.

Replacement

In 2001, team owners of the Olympiques first discussed the idea of playing at a new rink with a larger capacity. Renovations were made to the arena in 2003 and 2004 that slightly reduced the number of seats due to safety reasons. On May 25, 2011, city council announced that a new 5,000 seat arena would be built on the same site, and the old arena would be demolished. The estimated cost of the new arena was to be $63 million, but the project never went further. On February 22, 2017, city council approved a new 4,000 seat arena and recreation complex with three community rinks. Cost is estimated at $79 million. The new arena, Slush Puppie Centre, located east of downtown, was opened in August 2021.

References

External links

QMJHL Arena Guide profile of Robert Guertin Centre
{{coord, 45, 26, 3, N, 75, 43, 29, W, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Gatineau Ice hockey venues in Quebec Ontario Hockey League arenas Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League arenas Ice hockey in Gatineau Sports venues in Quebec 1952 establishments in Quebec Sports venues completed in 1952